Bookmark and Share

News Releases by Subject and Date

Research
2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004
Your Health
2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004
Medical and Dental Education
2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004
Miscellany
2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004
All Subjects
2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004

News Release

September 7, 2010

Contact: Carolyn Pennington, 860-679-4864
e-mail: cpennington@uchc.edu

Wind Instruments May Cause Lung Disease in Musicians

Health Center Study Published in CHEST Finds Brass Musicians May Inhale Mold and Bacteria from Their Instruments

FARMINGTON, CONN. – When a 35-year-old professional trombone player came to the Health Center seeking treatment for a chronic cough, the case wasn’t as simple as it first appeared.

Dr. Mark Metersky, director of the Center for Bronchiectasis Care, quickly learned that Scott Bean of Ellington had been suffering from the recurring cough for approximately 15 years and prior physicians were not able to figure out the cause.

"He didn’t have the typical symptoms that would cause a chronic cough. For instance, he didn’t have a stuffy, runny nose or esophageal reflux problems," explains Metersky. "Allergy testing was negative and a physical exam and chest x-ray were all normal."

Environmental causes or side effects from medication were also ruled out. More intense scans and exams still did not reveal the reason for the cough.

Subsequently, Bean told Metersky that his symptoms improved significantly when he did not play his trombone for two weeks. He also noted that the periods of more severe symptoms had been when he was playing more than usual.

Metersky immediately suspected that Bean was suffering from hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), a lung condition characterized by shortness of breath and cough, and that his trombone was the culprit (brass players inhale with the instrument at their mouth between measures). The inside of the instrument showed innumerable whitish plaques and a further analysis revealed the presence of mold and/or bacteria contamination.

After Bean began immersing his instrument in 91 percent isopropyl alcohol, his cough went away completely over several weeks.

Bean’s case intrigued Metersky enough that he decided to study several other musicians and their instruments. "All seven musicians had at least one instrument contaminated with either mycobacterial or fungal species previously associated with HP," says Metersky.

Metersky speculates that since most brass and wind instruments may harbor large numbers of mold and bacteria, many other musicians may be at risk for HP. The study is published in the September issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.

UConn Health includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital. Home to Bioscience Connecticut, UConn Health pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. More information about UConn Health is available at www.uchc.edu.

Note: News professionals are invited to visit the UConn Health Today news page (http://today.uchc.edu) for regularly updated news and feature stories, photos and media stories. News releases are archived at http://today.uchc.edu/newsreleases/2014. UConn Health news and information is also available on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.